Robert Whittaker says fire 'kind of fizzled out' at middleweight before light heavyweight move

The former UFC middleweight champion said he did not enjoy his last camp or fight at the weight, against Reinier de Ridder, and wanted to enjoy fighting again.

By Combat Sports UK Staff · Published Fri 23 Oct, 11:24 UK · AI-assisted reporting

Robert Whittaker has said he moved up to light heavyweight because he had stopped enjoying fighting at middleweight, saying "the flame, the flare, the fire kind of fizzled out a little bit".

Speaking on the JRE MMA Show with Joe Rogan, the former UFC middleweight champion said it started with his last fight at the weight, against Reinier de Ridder. "I did not enjoy that camp. I did not enjoy that fight. Something was missing," he said.

"And at that point I was like, 'Man, what am I doing? Something has to change. I'm not enjoying it as I should be,'" Whittaker added. He said the 12-week camp before a fight "lends itself a lot to that", adding: "It makes the whole thing a drag, you know."

People had told him for years to move up because he has always been "a heavier-set guy", and he decided: "Okay, I'm gonna do this." He said the division was not the only thing that had to change: "But more than that needed to change. I wanted to enjoy fighting."

De Ridder beat Whittaker by split decision in Abu Dhabi in July 2025. In his light heavyweight debut at UFC 329 in July this year, Whittaker stopped Nikita Krylov in the third round.

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Robert Whittaker Reinier de Ridder Nikita Krylov